The Path of Kitsunes
by Kaoticism
Summary: This is a Prequel to 'Kitsune's Destiny.' Aspiring young demons play even until death, in some cases. The beginnings of the kitsunes' blooming relationship, unlived in the past. KuramaxOC Slightly AU


Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or any of it's characters.

A/N: This is a Prequel just made of my first fanfic I wrote. I'm rewriting the fanfic in it because there are so many errors in it but this is just something I added extra and I thought this would help explain the story a little. This story is slightly AU. The pairing's Kurama/Youko X Lin (A character I made up.)

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There, a young fox demon waited, upon the large rock in the middle of the small meadow. 

A younger boy with black hair and a darker outfit murmured, "She's late."

The older boy atop the rock wearing lose white clothes with silver hair and menacing yellow eyes, plainly said, "Kuronue, just wait awhile, she'll be here, she's always late."

Kuronue just said, "Youko, I know, but she just never seems to care."

Youko shrugged, leaving him to his thoughts, "_At least she cares enough to come ever day, and at least that's what matters to me."_ Youko said aloud, "Then we just have to wait for her."

Outside her home, upon the gravel road she walked, planning to meet her best friends at the star gazing rock as usual. She went there every day and it was always fun. Her short red hair swayed against her run while her fox tail hairs spread wide, just trying to hold on. She walked passed a clearing in the trees where someone called out to her, "Lin what took you so long? You're late!"

Lin turned to him, "Well, I always come at this time."

Kuronue who spoke first just said, "You're always late."

"Well then I'm on time." She said with a bit of smarminess in her voice as she crossed her arms and stuck out her tongue.

Kuronue rolled his eyes and Youko just laughed, saying, "You know you can't beat her at her own logic."

He replied, "I can try," as he stuck out his tongue at her.

"Well are we gonna fight or what? Just sit on our tails and talk?" Lin said.

Kuronue nodded, bringing out his pendent that was already radiating with power. Youko called out 'Rose Whip' and out of a blinding flash of rose petals was a thorn whip. "Show off." Was murmured by Kuronue.

Lin held the blade a small imitation of the soul blade, "I'll take you both on!" She stuck her tongue out at them, "I'll beat you all."

Youko shook his head, "No, I am just going to take on the winner." He sat back on the rock watching.

There was a small smirk playing on Lin's face while Kuronue started to swing the small pendent back and forth. There was a tingling sensation vibrating in the air and she looked around, losing her place. Her mind went hazy and she couldn't tell where he was and she could only hear him laughing at her.

"That's not fair!" She cried out as she pressed the end of her palms together while a bright flashing light enveloped the small meadow.

Youko placed a hand over his eyes and Kuronue fell out of the nearby tree, crying out, "THAT'S not fair."

"Hn, it was your fault first," she said with as much reason she had in her voice.

He said, "Just keep fighting."

She ran at him with her small blade outstretched, "I'll get you."

She swung it quickly and he ducked, "You'll have to be faster then that."

He wrapped the pendent around her neck, trying to strangle her but she shook him off but driving the hilt into his stomach. He swung the metal of the pendent so quickly it cut the end of her waist long hair to be at her shoulders.

There was an indignant cry from her, "You cut off my hair!"

She head butt him calling out small light ropes to hold his ankles and wrists. He lay there writhing on the ground, trapped and the more he struggled the tighter the bands cut into his skin. She took her blade and placed it at his neck, glaring at him. She simply said, "I win."

The pendent swung just slightly and it threw her mind off balance. The binds unwound them from his wrist, leaving scratches of where they were.

She fell back for there was no balance left within her. Her head hurt and she couldn't see straight. She dropped the blade from her hand, placing her hands at her head.

He went on top of her, placing the thin wire around her neck just enough so she knew she would lose now.

She took her hands off her head and felt around for her blade and she grasped something cold that she figured it was. She took and tried to cut the wire but it did not help but made it worse. The wire tightened and cut into her neck, leaving blood rolling down. She felt the warmth of her blood rolling down her neck and screamed, "I DON'T CARE! HELP!"

Youko jumped off the rock, only able to see red from the dark liquid come from her. He took his whip and skill fully broke the wire the held the wire to her neck.

Kuronue looked offended at him, "I won."

Youko glanced down at Lin who still couldn't concentrate on the world around her, just holding on to her neck now that blood flowed freely from. She couldn't find the wound but she was feeling around for it as best as she could.

He bent down and placed his hands over Lin's putting her hands to the line of blood. There was faint glowing from what little concentration she had to seal the wound but not heal it. Blood still stained her neck and she couldn't walk but the bleeding had paused.

She opened her eyes a bit to see Youko's silver hair and yellow eyes looking down at her, giving him a weak smile. She rose from where she lay and limped slowly to the rock and she lay against it, putting her head back, murmuring, "Owie." Her face contorted in the pain that she still felt as if the wound were still fresh.

Another little girl came out of hiding from behind a tree, laughing, "You're so weak."

Lin titled her head in the direction, as did Youko for each foxes' ears had picked up the sound of her movement immediately.

Kuronue didn't hear it quite as fast but turned his head that way when he say Youko and Lin do the same. He smiled, "Tegera!"

Lin raised her eyebrow, cocking her head to the side but Youko kept his expression the same as he watched Kuronue running toward her happily.

Tegera hissed, her hair red streaked black.

"Tiger demon," murmured Youko.

Lin whispered back to him, "I know, I can tell."

Tegera walked toward them, not older them but acting so, her hips swaying and licking her lips.

She murmured, "Mmm a delicious fox demon and a weak fox demon."

Lin opened her mouth to say something but closed it.

Kuronue said, "That's Youko and that weak one is Lin."

Lin hmphed and Youko glanced at her.

Tegera laughed, "So can I finish her off?"

Lin rose to her feet, calling the blade back to her hand. She limped for a moment, "Neva."

Kuronue smirked, "Let's play two on two. Weak foxes versus me and Tegera."

Tegera contributed to his smirk, "I get the weak one because I don't want to damage the pretty one."

Lin laughed, looking at Youko her voice soft so that the other two couldn't pick up with their senses only Youko, "They're doomed because we gotta secret attack, remember?" Youko laughed out suddenly but quickly covered his mouth. The other two looked at him but couldn't understand what was so funny.

The battle began and Tegera faced Lin, standing next to Kuronue. She gave him a smirk and her hands were placed on her hips. She went on all fours, hissing. Lin just stood, her wound allowing her little movement of her neck but she was confident.

Kuronue swung his pendent, smirking back at Tegera and Youko just twirled a rose between his fingertips, keeping an eye on Lin out of the corner of his eye.

Tegera first rushed at Lin, pouncing on her, starting to naw at her wound. Lin brought up her blade and tried slashed her cheek, "NO!" Her blade missed and the blood flowed freely once more. Tegera lapped up the blood, smiling.

Kuronue had created a small field of his energy to confuse the sight of Youko like he would do all the time.

Youko had his rose whip already out, his yellow eyes watching and his ears erect for any sound. He saw in the corner of his eye that Tegera had bit Lin and she was on the ground, her body twitching and her pupils dilated. Tegera was licking her hands, like paws. He wanted to run to help her but there was little escape from Kuronue.

He watched the urgency in Youko's eyes and his voiced echoed, "You can get her later, you still have to deal with me." He laughed as Youko stopped making his way toward her and turned at just the right time to entwine Kuronue in his rose whip.

Youko murmured, "You shouldn't talk so much. I can hear you." He unraveled the rose whip and started to make his way to Lin.

Lin's breath had stopped already and was laying there, cold and dead for moments. There was a foul wind passing by and everyone stood there, in awe. They never planned for anyone to die in these battles they had. Kuronue stood and cursing under his breath while Tegera looked pretty satisfied with her damage.

Youko just watched the body, his body frozen and his mouth shut. In his eyes you could see a pang to his heart of one his best friends lying dead, right before his eyes. He had never felt such darkness. He couldn't save her. They were only six and why did she have to die went through his thoughts. He glared at Tegera and picked Lin up, bringing her back to her house, walking on the dirt path she traveled on and he knew well.

He brought her home and they were silent, her entire family. They must have hated that first her mother's physical body died, giving birth to Lin and now this.

Youko left, his eyes solemn for this was his best friend from the very first time he met another fox demon actually his age. When he went back to the rock, the other two were gone and Youko just lay there, watching the sun set and the stars rise, flickering. He started to dream memories…

_Their parents had a meeting with the council of kitsunes. His father was the head councilmen and Youko having the responsibility of having to keep up the reputation of his father. Her father another fox demon. Fox demons having children about the same age was rare, even close ages was rare for they never did have more then 4 children every two hundred years. Youko stood by his father; trying to act proud and something grabbed his tail, making him yelp. His voice was muffled by the amount of talking they all did._

_He turned around only to see a fox demon with bright brown eyes staring back into his golden orbs. He remembered the first thing she said to him, "You're tail's pretty." He was taken aback by such a comment, and he raised his eyebrow at her, trying to intimidate her. _

_She giggled, "You don't have to act so old. I'm Lin and I'm four years old." He crossed his arms, "I'm Youko Kurama but everyone just calls me Youko…I'm four, too." He spoke to her stiffly as he was older then her. _

_She shrugged, "We're about the same age. Wanna come pway?" _

_He had never been asked to go have fun before. He had heard such great things about it but never had friends to do so. He nodded at her and she took his hand. That day he had fun just climbing trees and play fighting. He had always been trained so far to fight hard and fight his best but this was fun, just falling and laughing. This was all new to him and he had never done it._

_They walked back to the where the meeting was held in the meadow. He placed his hand into the tree, creating a small handprint, as did she. _

_She picked up a rock and started to carve a poem in the tree, 'Once upon a time there lived two kitsunes. They were the best, Youko Kurama the Thief and Lin the one that always plays. They were the best fox demons since ever.' She stopped because he took the rock and finished, "They were bestests friends for forever." _

_She placed her hand in the tree, too for a handprint. Under she wrote her name, 'Lin' and he wrote his under his handprint and wrote again, "Best friends to the ends, together and forever."_

_Just then they had a sudden idea and created a set of rules that they still abided by no matter what because it was just said so 'The loser will have to fall to two demands of the winner.' _

_Lin always beat him because they were her rules after all like the second rule, 'No Rules.(Except the first.)' He never quite got that but it was always fun, at least he thought it was and it looked like she did that same._

He remember more after he left her…his father said he saw him playing with a little girl today, "Youko did you have fun today." Youko put his hands over his head and nodded, afraid of what his father would think of him. "Well, whom were you playing with?"

"Uh…twas this lil girl named Lin. She said my tail was pretty."

His father hmmed for a moment, "Lin… I think a clan member just had a daughter named Lin. She's not full fox. She's not even full demon. She may look like a fox but she has human in her blood."

He didn't tell her what that daughter was supposed to become though, Deity of light was too hard to comprehend for such a young child. "Youko, be careful around her." He nodded at his father.

After all his memories had come to pass, he realized that she was there; she was always everywhere. He briefly remembered, he saw her everyday coming outside and spinning a long stick. He didn't notice how different it was not being able to see her everyday like he normally did. He realized that he really liked her and didn't want her to go away. For the first time, the son of the chief councilman had small tears well up in his eyes.

While he laid there, his eyes focused and unfocused, he saw his a brief flicker of glowing light in the air. He was the only fox demon with silver hair but he saw another with long silver hair. It turned to him, large brown eyes looked at him. He could see flecks of yellow in those eyes but he recognized those brown eyes. He ran toward the flying light and with his speed, he easily caught up.

It was girl in a pale silver dress; her hair was long and silver, falling to her waist. There was silver plumage out of her back as she looked at him. He mouthed, "Lin…" She cocked her head to the side, the light out of her body softly dimmed. She landed beside him, seeming to react to the name. He ran to hug her, his face gone of tears.

She pushed him away, raising her eyebrow at him. She said nothing but he didn't understand. She did nothing but placed a soft kiss on his lips and flew off again. He stood there, unsure of what to do.

He decided to follow and he saw at the girl hacked away at the body of Tegera, killing her. Her eyes were emotionless as were her lips.

She turned to see him and she mouthed, "Youko…" He took her by the hand and started to pull her to run. Her wings started to beat and picked her off the ground, taking him with her. Her wings slowed, seeming to tire when they hit the meadow.

The rock was there in the center where she lowed them and she fell to the ground. Her eyes closed and her wings furled around her. He watched her lying there and the soft glow of her body dissipated. Her body briefly blinded him by light and there was Lin. Her dark hair was sprawled around, the red tip color unnoticeable in the darkness. He walked over to her to feel her pulse and it was there. She was alive; her breathing was soft and ragged both at once. Her skin was cold almost icy. Her ears appeared at the top of her head as well as her tail, not moving.

He hugged her and kissed her softly back for the previous he had given her when she looked different. He let go and just lay closely next to her so that she could feel his warmth and she wouldn't be cold.

He woke her up the next morning as she rubbed her eyes, "Hi Youko." She nuzzled into his arm like a pillow and started to drift back to sleep but woke up immediately, "YOUKO!" She moved back and looked around, remember where she was, "Did I get knocked out in the fight or something?"

He shook his head, "No you died. But you were revived again and you looked different."

She shook her head, "I don't remember anything though."

They started to play together as they normally did when they were without Kuronue, trying to be the better fox demon. "I'm gonna be a better fox demon then you are," said Youko.

Lin said, "Nu uh! Your never going to be better then me."

"I going to get something to prove to you that I'm best," he paused, "So that I can help you next time."

At that moment Lin's father made their way to them, his face streamed with relief and worry, saying cautiously, "You seem to be having lots of fun with Youko, right now."

He gave her an urgent smile as she nodded and asked, "Where's mommy, but I saw her…?"

His voice was unsure, wondering how she could forget, saying, "Remember she died." He paused finally getting to the point of finding her just now, "I have to leave now because I was exiled from the clan and now I have to fix a problem. You will get to live with your big brother Leson. I'm going to be back at the home for a little while to get my things and leave."

Lin started to cry as her father turned her back and walked away.

Just then Youko came back, seeing the sad look upon her face, dropping what he was holding, asking, "Why are you crying?"

She said, "I am never going to see mommy or daddy every again. I'm going to be all alone forever."

Youko said, "Lin it is okay. You wont be alone. I will always be with you so that way you won't be alone."

Lin looked up and said, "Really? Pinky promise?"

Youko nodded and they resumed laughing and playing again. After a bit of time she realized she had to go see her father off before he left. They parted that he would come get her to play more a little later.

A little earlier back at her home, voices were yelling, "TEGERA OF THE TIGER CLAN DIED LAST NIGHT! THERE ARE TRACES OF A LIGHT DEMON AND YOUR DAUGHTER IS GONE!"

The chief, Youko's father was just exiting as Lin around to the back of her house. She wanted to sneak back in so Leson wouldn't have a talk with her saying she was out all night because she wasn't suppose to be. She ran and quickly changed, going to a passage that showed the door in her view. There stood Leson and her father standing there.

Youko started to walk up to the open door to go get Lin but stayed back.

"Leson, listen well, I have to leave for awhile. Lin's powers of her Light Demon side must already be manifesting since her death yesterday. I'll need to put her into an enchanted sleep and I will have to fix things now. I will reincarnate that Tegera girl for the Tiger Clan but I have been exiled. You have to take care of Lin. Her memory will be erased and she'll awake when the time for her to train to become the Light Deity. You will give her the Soul Blade at the time. Right now the charm bracelet will keep her power intact so they do not hurt anyone. The Pursoul Luvera spirit will teach her to cope with any sins she has by then. Sirienia will then test her physical ability. Then sometime after that Arcadias will test her mental ability to cope and to see if she is ready and she will have to fulfill the task of obtaining her rank of the supposed Light Deity. You must hide Lin well and not let Koenma be aware of this." He glanced up and saw Lin standing by the staircase watching and listening.

He placed his hand at the direction of Lin and she started to fall off the staircase with her father and brother watching. Youko's eyes widened and rushed toward her, catching her in his arms. He was just slightly taller then Lin herself.

Her mind and eyes were dazed, she looked up at him giving him a weak smile, "You promised."

He didn't quite understand what was happening, he turned around to see her father and her brother. They didn't seem to be fazed by this but Youko felt danger consuming so he ran.

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A/N: That's the end and the story's going to be called 'Kitsunes' Destiny.' The story is set in the time period of YYH but this is just way in the past for your information. Have fun and review.  



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